Device for generating faradic currents



Dec. 30, 1952 c. L. STRONG DEVICE FOR GENERATING FARADIC CURRENTS Filed Oct. 24, 1950 d) n "a o e E my 5m a a h Q QMQWQA m TT'Y 5.

Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES smear-"osmos DEVECE FOR GENERATING FARADIC CURRENTS Charles Love Strong, London, England Application October z i, 1950, Serial No. 191,840

In Great Britain November 1, 194$ I 4 Claims. (01. 123-4231 This invention relates to electro-therapeutic apparatus such as is used for the treatment of injuries, rheumatism and other ailments by rhythmic muscular contractions efiected by faradic currents. The chief object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which will enable treatment to be carried out at a point remote from the generator of the said faradic currents while completely under the control of the therapeutist. The apparatus thus lends itself particularly to the treatment of horses where it is impossible, or undesirable, for the apparatus generating the faradic currents to be present in the horse-box.

The apparatus for the treatment of injuries,

rheumatism and other ailments by rhythmic muscular contractions effected by faradic currents according to the present invention comprises a vibrator for interrupting an electric current, a step-up transformer for stepping up the interrupted current and a resistor with, a mechanically rotated arm driven by an electric motor for imparting a surge to the current during its application, and is characterised by the provision of a remote control unit adapted to be located at a point remote from the generator, said remote control unit being provided with means for switching the generator on and off, means for controlling the strength of the current applied to the patient and means for controlling the speed of the electric motor driving the resistor and mechanically rotated arm to vary the rate of surge.

Preferably the said remote control unit also includes a tell-tale lamp to indicate to the therapeutist that the generator is switched on, and the electric motor may also be adapted to drive a resistor and mechanically rotated arm included in the circuit of the tell-tale lamp to give an indication of the rate of surge to the therapeutist.

The remote control unit may be connected to the generator by means of a multi-wire cable and plugs and sockets so that, when it is not required to apply the treatment at a remote point, the cable may be detached and the remote control unit be plugged in to the generator to give a direct control at the generator.

In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing, which is the circuit diagram of the preferred embodiment of electro-therapeutic apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the apparatus therein illustrated comprises a main generator A and a remote control unit B.

or twelve volt, battery it.

Electric power, conveniently from a six or twelve volt supply, is connected to the generator A at the point S, and the circuit is controlled by a switch H3 which is located in the remote control unit. When the switch It is closed the circuit of the relay 1 i is completed, whereupon the relay operates to close three switches l2, l3 and 14. Similarly, when the switch it on the remote control unit is opened, the relay I I functions to open the switches l2, l3 and M. The switch 12 is adapted to connect an electric motor I5 (the purpcse of which will be described hereinafter) across the input S in series with a rheostat IE5 at the remote control unit. The speed of the mo- ;tor It may thus be controlled by the rheostat It at the remote control unit. The switch l3 on the relay is adapted to close the circuit of a vibrator ll, similar to that used in car radio sets, the vibrator I1 being fed from a separate six volt Vibrator ll includes an additional separate winding terminated by a resistor or capacitor which partially determines the rate of vibration thereof. The vibrator i1 is connected to the two ends of the primary of a faradic step-up transformer 19 which is centre tapped back to the vibrator circuit. The sec ondary of the transformer H3 is connected to the usual surge rheostat 2%, which is driven by the electric motor E5, the circuit being completed through a potentiometer 2! located in the remote control unit B. The leads for the application of the faradic currents to the patient are connected to the terminals 22 or the plug and socket connection 23 which are paralleled across one end and the contact arm of the potentiometer 2!. It will thus be seen that, in addition to being able to switch the generator on and off from the remote control unit, the therapeutist is also able to control at the remote point the rate of surge by controlling the speed of the motor through the intermediary of the rheostat l6 and the strength of the current applied to the patient by means of the potentiometer 2!.

The third switch 14 of the relay is adapted to bring into circuit a variable rheostat 2t in the generator A which is connected in series with a tell-tale lamp 25 and control switch 26 at the remote control unit. The tell-tale lamp is connected across the input in series with the rheo stat 24 and switch 25. The arm of the lamp rheostat 24 is driven by the electric motor i5 synchronously with the surge rheostat and it will thus be seen that so long as the apparatus is functioning correctly the tell-tale lamp on the remote control unit 13 will flash on and on at the surge rate, it thus being not only a useful indication to the therapeutist that the generator A is functioning properly but also an indication to him of the rate of surge.

While in the treatment of animals it is desirable to have the generator A remote from the animal being. treated, this is not in general necessary whenhuman beings are being treated since human beings can safely be treated in close proximity to the generator. In order, therefore, to adapt the apparatus according to the present invention for use in such conditions, the remote control unit B is preferably coupled to the gene erator A through a multi-lead cable 3-0 having plug and socket connections indicated diagrammatically at 31 and 32, and the arrangement is such that, when desired, the extension cable. 30, which may, of course, be of any desired length, may be removed and the remote control unit 3 plugged directly into, say, the top of a casing containing the generator A so that it. may be 015- erated to control the generator A from that. point in the manner described above.

Although the apparatus has been described above as: operating from a six or twelve volt supply, it may, if desired, be operated from the mains, the mains voltage being stepped down and, of course-rectified, before it is fed to the vibrator.

The apparatus according to the present invention. is simple to produce and easy to op,- crate, it giving perfect control over the treatment at a point remote from the generator.

I claim:

I. Eiectro-therapeutic apparatus for the treatment of injuries, rheumatism and other ailments by rhythmic muscular contractions effected by faradic.v currents, comprising a generator unit including a vibrator for interrupting an electric current, a step-up transformer for stepping up the interrupted current and a resistor with .a 4

mechanically rotated arm driven by an electric motor for imparting a surge to the current during its application to the patient, a remote control unit adapted to be located at a point remote from the generator of the said faradic currents, said remote control unit being provided with. means for switching the generator on and off, means for controlling the strength of the current applied, to the patient and means, for controlling the speed of the electric motor driving the resistor with the mechanically rotated arm to vary the rate of surge.

2. Electro-therapeutic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tell-tale lamp included in said remote control unit; a variable resistor connected to said tell-tale lamp for varying the brilliance thereof, said resistor having a mechanically rotated arm driven by said electric motor and connected to said lamp, whereby a therapeutist operating the apparatus will be given visual indication of the surge rate thereof.

3. Electra-therapeutic apparatus according to claim. 2, in which the remote control unit is provided with a switch adapted to close the circuit. of a relay at the generator, which relay, when actuated, is adapted to close the circuits of the vibrator, the electric motor and the-tell-tale lamp resistor with a, mechanically rotatedarm.

i, Electro-therapeutic apparatus; according; to; claim 2, in which said tell-tale lamp is. connected to. the circuit of said generator to indicate when said generator is switched on.

CHARLES LOVE STRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are; ofrecord, in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Number Name Date 1,690,551 Reed et al Nov. 6; 1928 2,024,624 Byrne Dec. 17-, 1 935 2,276,995 Milinowski Mar. 1, 1942: 

